21     Do not be afraid,(A) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.(B)
Surely the Lord has done great things!(C)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(D)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree(E) and the vine(F) yield their riches.(G)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice(H) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.(I)
He sends you abundant showers,(J)
    both autumn(K) and spring rains,(L) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow(M) with new wine(N) and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts(O) have eaten(P)
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]
my great army(Q) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(R)
    and you will praise(S) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders(T) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(U)
27 Then you will know(V) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord(W) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:25 The precise meaning of the four Hebrew words used here for locusts is uncertain.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake(A) realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.(B) 23 Then some boats from Tiberias(C) landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.(D) 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi,(E) when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,(F) not because you saw the signs(G) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures(H) to eternal life,(I) which the Son of Man(J) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal(K) of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe(L) in the one he has sent.”(M)

30 So they asked him, “What sign(N) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?(O) What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna(P) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[a](Q)

32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven(R) and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”(S)

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am(T) the bread of life.(U) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes(V) in me will never be thirsty.(W) 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me(X) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven(Y) not to do my will but to do the will(Z) of him who sent me.(AA) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,(AB) but raise them up at the last day.(AC) 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son(AD) and believes in him shall have eternal life,(AE) and I will raise them up at the last day.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.(A) 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(B) 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(C) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(D) 20 and teaching(E) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(F) always, to the very end of the age.”(G)

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